Roberto the Insect Architect

Narrated by Sean Hayes and featuring music by Jerry Hunt, this vibrant collage cutout-animated adaptation of Nina Laden's 2000 picture book follows ambitious termite Roberto, who has dreamed of becoming a big city architect ever since he was a wee mite ("Like most termites, he melted over maple, and pined for pine. Oak was okay, too. But Roberto didn't eat his food. He played with it."). When Roberto finally lights out for the metropolis (here seen as the Seattle skyline), he discovers that life is not necessarily a bowl of mahogany shavings: making the rounds of architecture firms, Roberto is turned down by Hank Floyd Mite (among others) and winds up living in a “fleabag hotel run by a nervous tick,” where he's housed with a family of bedbugs (one of Roberto's first projects is to build the bedbugs “their very own beds”). Roberto's big heart guides him in helping out those in need (including a ladybug whose house burned down), and he ultimately creates an eclectic neighborhood for homeless bugs that launches his career and brings him great fame. The winning combination of gorgeous artwork and very clever wordplay adds up to a delightful tale that is sure to inspire little dreamers. An ALSC Notable Children's Video for 2006, this is highly recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)